Shettima commends NAHCON for smooth 2026 Hajj operation
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and State Pilgrims Welfare Boards for what he described as the seamless conduct of the 2026 Hajj exercise, saying the operation should become the benchmark for future pilgrimages.
Shettima gave the commendation on Wednesday while receiving the board and management of NAHCON, alongside representatives of the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The delegation briefed the Vice-President on the just-concluded Hajj operation and plans for future exercises.
Congratulating the commission and other stakeholders, Shettima praised their performance and urged them to sustain the momentum.
“The performance of the team in the 2026 exercise should be the benchmark going forward,” he said, adding that authorities should continue working towards “adopting a more sustainable model that guarantees 100 per cent hitch-free pilgrimage.”
Earlier, NAHCON Chairman, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, informed the Vice-President that Saudi authorities had introduced a business-to-business model as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reforms.
According to him, “the move by the Saudi authorities to cede the handling of 98 per cent of pilgrims to private tour operator patronage was in pursuit of the government’s Vision 2030, which encourages a business-to-business model.”
He explained that under the new arrangement, “the Hajj Commission will maintain its regulatory role while ceding operational aspects of Hajj to the private sector.”
